


In The Jungle

by TheJaniMarki



Category: Edens Zero (Manga)
Genre: F/M, shicca - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-11
Updated: 2021-01-11
Packaged: 2021-03-16 01:42:22
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,519
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28698627
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheJaniMarki/pseuds/TheJaniMarki
Summary: Tarzan AU! Also note: Older Weisz will be referred to as 'The Professor' and young Weisz will just go by 'Weisz'
Relationships: Shiki Granbell & Rebecca, Shiki Granbell/Rebecca
Comments: 1
Kudos: 4





	In The Jungle

The buzzing of cicadas rang loud in the ears of two young travelers. The one, a 14 year old boy with endless amounts energy and an affinity for bugs.   
The other, the clumsy and untraditional, yet spunky 18 year old sister of the boy. The leader of the two, she held a close love for animals in her life, specifically in the cat family. 

The air buzzed with life as the pair walked through the dense jungles of Granbell. The grass reached up to their knees, both swatting away mosquitos as they made their way towards a research site. 

"Rebecca, when do you think we'll be able to get out onto the field?" The boy, Happy, asked as they walked, taking off his cap and wiping the sweat off his brow.

His sister, Rebecca, smiled at his eager attitude, turning her head slightly to look at him.   
"Why don't we focus on getting to the Professors campsite first?" Rebecca asked, adjusting her hat, looking back forward and staring down at her crinkled map.

Happy rolled his eyes, jogging forward to match Rebecca's stride. He walked up next to Rebecca, holding out the compass in his hands to show her.  
"North, correct?" He asked.

Rebecca nodded and ruffled her brothers unnatural blue hair, smiling at him as they continued their walk.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Rebecca swiped away a large palm leaf, sighing a breath of relief as the sight of three tents greeted her vision.

Outside the largest tent, Rebecca noticed an older man with grey, slicked back hair sitting on a log, writing something in a small moleskin notebook.   
"Professor!" Rebecca called happily, both her and her brother running through the wet mud to their mentor, Professor Weisz Steiner Sr.

The old man looked up towards the noise and immediately stood, quickly meeting the pair half way. He embraced Rebecca and Happy tightly, letting out a small laugh as they squeezed him.

The three stayed like that for a short moment before Rebecca and Happy jumped down from the hug, straightening their clothes with embarrassed smiles. 

Happy immediately began to ramble about what kind of bugs he wanted to find to the Professor, who listened intently with a fatherly smile splayed on his face.

Rebecca, however, tuned her little brother out and began to look around and observe the campsite.   
As she searched, she noticed that she didn't see any sign of the Professors son. 

She most definitely would have noticed him by now, he loved to tease her endlessly and would never give up the opportunity to treat her like the helpless young girl she used to be. 

Nevertheless, she was confused that she didn't see her childhood friend anywhere around.   
"Professor, where is Weisz?" Rebecca asked, turning back to the old man and cutting off her brother.

Rebecca noticed Happy pout from her peripheral vision, but she ignored it.

The Professor turned his head to Rebecca, offering a smile and a small, dismissive wave of his hand.   
"Junior went to go gather some firewood. He should be back soon."   
Rebecca nodded, and then the Professor told the pair to go pitch their tents and unpack. 

The two siblings dispersed, Happy picking a small spot further away from the Professors tents, both his lab and sleeping tent. He set his tent up close to the Professor's sons tent, who Happy had always idolized.   
Knowing Happy, he would end up sleeping in Weisz's tent anyways so the two could tell scary stories and talk about Rebecca's embarrassing formative years.

Rebecca scouted even further from Happy, finding a nice spot surrounded by trees on three sides.   
The trees were tall, but not tall enough that Rebecca couldn't climb them.

Pulling out and setting up her tent was much easier than expected, even though the air was very humid.   
Grey clouds loomed in the sky, but luckily Rebecca and the Professors camp site were all protected by the tall and lush Kapok trees of the jungle.

Once she finished pitching her tent, Rebecca sat down on a stray log next to her tent, pulling her bag off her shoulders and patting down her light brown dress. She frowned at the mud that had gathered at her ankles, glaring at her long dress.

It was customary that a woman wear a dress that reached at least her ankles, which Rebecca fought whenever she could. She hated the dresses, they always got in the way. 

Luckily though, Rebecca was only surrounded by the people she trusted most, so it wouldn't be a problem that she had brought only a few short knee length dresses for the month long excursion.

Rebecca took off her cap and unpinned her bun, her hair falling down over her back. She grabbed her metal water bottle from the side of her bag, taking a large gulp. 

As she relaxed in the silence, the sudden sound of stick snapping disturbed her peace, making Rebecca jump in fright. 

The noise startled her, and she turned to see the tall figure of the Professors son, Weisz Steiner Jr.

His hair was slicked back, his piercing black eyes staring deep into Rebecca's soul. His white shirt was soaked with sweat and now very transparent, and he carried a bundle of firewood on his shoulder.  
He smirked as he saw her, shifting his weight onto one foot. 

Rebecca had always known Weisz was a very attractive man, and if she were any other woman she probably would have been swooning over him.  
But she knew how annoying he was, her romantic disinterest in him immeasurable. 

Her parents and the Professor had tried to arrange a marriage between the childhood friends years prior, hoping to further their wealth and status in the community. 

However their plans fell apart when Rebecca and Weisz found out.   
Rebecca threatened the leave home for good if they were to decide her spouse for her, and Weisz completely refused to marry Rebecca all together.   
Her parents were going to force her, however the Professor refused to continue with the plans without her and his sons consent. 

Now, her parents are still pushing Rebecca to marry, however she refuses to do so until she finds the right man. 

If she ever finds the right man. 

Rebecca snapped out of her daze as Weisz spoke, staring down at her like an older brother would.   
"I see you finally got here Becca. I won't lie, I was getting quite worried about you and Happy. I thought you'd gotten lost." Weisz teased, making Rebecca roll her eyes.

"Yes yes, we arrived just an hour and a half ago." She replied shortly, taking another sip of water and looking away from the 22 year old bachelor.

Weisz raised an eyebrow at her response, still smirking at her with an evil glint in his eye.  
"You've set your tent up quite a way aways. You sure you can protect yourself from all the bugs?"

Rebecca rolled her eyes once more, turning back to Weisz with a deadpan look.  
"Yes Weisz, I am perfectly capable of putting on bug spray." 

Weisz laughed, winking as he readjusted the wood on his shoulder and walked past her towards the Professors campsite, waving a tan hand at her.

"Always a pleasure Becca." He said before disappearing into the brush, leaving Rebecca annoyed and exhausted.

'I'll take a short nap, that way I won't miss dinner and I can stay up to watch the stars tonight.' Rebecca thought, yawning and climbing into her tent, using her bag as a pillow.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

The fire crackled in front of Rebecca's face as she chomped down onto a turkey leg, ignoring her manners and discarding any lady-like behavior that would have been expected of her at home.

The Professor laughed as the Bluegarden siblings ate most of the food, gulping it down in seconds.   
"That walk must have tired you two out." He said while laughing, using his handkerchief to wipe the sides of his mouth.

Weisz rolled his eyes, his shiny blonde hair now frizzy and sticking in all directions.  
"Becca, you're a lady, act like one." He tutted, but really he was only teasing her.

Rebecca frowned, using her gloved hand to wipe her mouth.  
"Oh mind your own business." She managed to say through the food in her mouth, causing the Professor to let out another hardy laugh.

Rebecca swallowed her food, standing up and dusting off her gloves on her dress.  
"Thank you for the food Professor. But now  
I am quite tired and would like to take a short shower before bed. May I be excused?" Rebecca asked, still acting respectful towards her superior.

The Professor smiled and nodded at her.  
"Yes, we have an early day tomorrow. So I suggest we all get some sleep soon." He spoke, standing and patting his sons head.  
"Put the fire out son." He added, smirking down at his son.

Weisz frowned, glaring up at his father.  
"I'm not a child anymore father, I'm 22! Don't pat my head." Weisz exclaimed.

The Professor pouted, ruffling Weisz's hair and making it even messier.  
"You'll always be my little boy. Now put out the fire and get to bed." With this, the Professor walked to his tent, disappearing inside.

Rebecca snickered at Weisz, not at all intimated by the wicked glare he shot her.  
"Goodnight boys, I'll be going to the waterfall to shower off." She spoke, waving to her brother and Weisz before skipping away to her tent.

She heard silence before the two boys began to make conversation, but she tuned it out as she walked up to her tent.   
Grabbing her bag, Rebecca pulled out her water bottle and the rest of her clothing. She made sure she had her shampoo, a towel, and a change of clothing before zipping up her bag once more and grabbing Happy's compass, heading towards the waterfall that was only a minute walk away. 

The Professor had explained that the waterfall was where everyone was to go individually when they needed to wash off, and Rebecca couldn't stand how sweaty she had gotten during her long walk. 

The walk to the waterfall was tranquil, the sky becoming a vibrant orange color as the sun began to set. It would be dark in a matter of an hour.   
The cicadas hadn't ceased their chirping, but it added another layer of calm to the whole experience. 

Rebecca heard the faint sound of rushing water as she got closer, her heart pumping with excitement as she realized she was really going to get to study the animals she adored so much.

It had always been her dream to be a zoologist, but her parents had frowned upon it. 

It wasn't lady-like, they would always say.

But Rebecca never let up her dream, and when The Professor offered to bring her and Happy along on his research trip she wouldn't take no for an answer. 

Her parents weren't ecstatic about the idea, but allowed it when they realized Rebecca would go whether they said yes or not.

The sound of rushing water got louder, the feeling of cold vapor in the air snapping Rebecca out of her thoughts.  
In front of Rebecca stood a relatively small waterfall, only about 10 feet high. 

Rebecca sighed in relief, smiling. She dropped her bag and pulled out what she would need, setting them down on a clean looking rock next to the small clear pond that lay under the waterfall. 

She unpinned her hair once again, letting her curls fall to her shoulders. She removed her dress, letting it fall to the mud. 

She didn't care about that dress anyway, and she desperately needed a shower.

After removing and putting her clothing into her bag, Rebecca slipped off her shoes and took a step into the cold water, sighing at how good it felt against her hot and sticky skin. 

She held her chest, covering herself even though she knew she was alone. The water went up to about her waist at its deepest, which was just fine for Rebecca. 

She reached over to the rock where her towel was, grabbing the small bottle of shampoo she had brought with her. 

It smelled strongly of cherry blossoms, a natural scent in her native country, Blue Garden.   
She used the shampoo to wash her hair and body, looking up at the sky as it grew darker. 

She could barely hear the cicadas over the rushing waterfall now, subconsciously humming a small tune. 

Standing under the waterfall to rinse her hair was a new and exciting experience, and Rebecca loved the way the cold water felt. 

She continued humming as she rinsed herself off, still looking up at the sky.   
Nothing could ruin this trip for her. 

The sky was now almost all the way dark, only a little bit of light left peaking over the horizon.   
The sky was a dark blue color, the stars beginning to shine brightly.

Rebecca couldn't help but smile as she looked at the stars, only being able to recognize a few constellations.   
As much as she loved to stare at them, she never cared much for their technical names. 

With a hum, Rebecca took a step out from under the waterfall, squeezing the water out of her hair and looking forward.

She looked to her bag and clothing, and was surprised to see a human man with long dark hair crouching next to her stuff, holding her night dress and studying it close to his face with a confused expression.

Rebecca stopped in her tracks, the splashing of water against her waist causing the other person to look at her.

Her hands went to her chest to cover herself and she screamed, making the boy's eyes go wide.

"What are you doing with my clothes?!"

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

"What are you doing with my clothes?!"

Her shrill screech startled the boy, causing him to jump and glare, putting his hands on the ground and walking backwards like a primate would. 

Rebecca looked closely at the boy. He looked about her age, his jet black hair unruly and reaching down to his waist. His only clothing was a dirty piece of brown cloth covering his private area, and it was only held together by withered white string, mostly likely an old shoe lace.

She continued to cover herself, glaring at the boy.  
"Hello?! Can you speak??" She asked in an assertive tone, her body beginning to shiver in the now freezing water and windy night air. 

The boy squinted at her, carefully taking another step back.  
"Yes." He replied, his voice deep and rough. 

He continued to glare at her, and Rebecca went to speak once more when there was bird call.   
The boy snapped his head to the sky, whistling back and running off into the jungle on all fours, disappearing into the brush.

Rebecca stared in shock, the only noise was the rushing water and the ringing in her ears.  
'Who was that? Why is he out here? It should only be the Professor and the rest of us' 

Her head began to ache as the thoughts pound against her head. She shivered, remembering that she was naked in the middle of the jungle.

Quickly and quietly, Rebecca changed into her night dress and headed back to camp, ready to tell someone about her encounter.  
However when she got back she noticed that everyone's lights were off and the fire was dead. 

Everyone was asleep.

'I guess I'll have to wait until morning.' She thought, her heart pumping wildly. 

Rebecca dropped her bag on the ground in front of her tent, grabbing her hairbrush and running it through her light brown hair. 

After minutes of struggling, Rebecca just tied it up and took off her shoes, wiggling her toes as she looked up at the large trees above her.

'I better start climbing if I wanna see any shooting stars.'

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

The cold air of the night felt good against Rebecca's throat as she sucked in a deep breath, piece's of her hair falling into her face as she climbed to the top of the tree. 

She laughed to herself, popping through the leaves at the top. She inhaled through her mouth, the smell of rain hanging in the air. 

Her whole body felt frigid, her thin night dress doing nothing to shield her from the cold.

However she didn't care.   
Rebecca smiled, putting her arms out to her sides and feeling the wind pass her. 

Looking up, Rebecca sighed. There were rain clouds above, but that didn't stop the moon and some stars from peaking out from behind them. 

She began to watch the few stars she could see, giving them unique names and personalities. 

The stars were her friends, her comfort. Despite her little knowledge of them, she found solace in the calm they provided. 

"Hmm, I'll name you Eden." Rebecca whispered to herself, staring up at a particularly bright star.  
"Yes, Eden...." She smiled, joy making her chest tighten.  
A cloud passed over Eden, and Rebecca pouted. 

There was silence once more, and Rebecca closed her eyes as she let the wind pass her. She smiled and let out a loud sigh, opening her eyes once again to look at Eden.

"Who're you talking to?"

The sudden voice startled Rebecca, and she let out a short scream before dropping under the tree tops and curling up on a large branch, breathing heavily as adrenaline began to pump through her veins.

Rebecca watched in fear as someone jumped down onto the same branch she sat on, making it shake.   
The shock hit her like a large wave as she realized it was the same boy who had been peeping on her earlier.

He walked slowly closer to her, still staring directly at her.   
Rebecca glared at the boy. She wanted to yell at him for being a creep, but when she noticed how close he had gotten, her eyes narrowed at him. 

He was staring at her with a burning curiosity, walking ever closer. He moved his face closer to hers, looking deep into her eyes. 

Rebecca gulped, losing her confidence and anger, watching the boys eyes sparkle under the night sky. He looked down at her body, furrowing his eyebrows.  
"Are you, woman?"

Gasping, Rebecca felt herself go red as he began to lift the bottom of her night dress up, trying to look under. Rebecca let out a squeal and kicked him in the chest, sending him back about a foot.  
"PERVY DUCKY!"

Rebecca curled up into herself, glaring at the boy once again. He frowned, positioning his body in a defensive pose. 

There was a silence between the two as Rebecca stared at the boy, her anger beginning to subside and grow into curiosity.  
"Who are you?" She asked, her voice sharp and demanding. 

The boy looked back up at Rebecca, his eyes reflecting her same curiosity.  
"Shiki." He replied simply, staring at her intensely.

Rebecca sighed, shifting uncomfortably under his stare.  
"Last name?" She asked again, still glaring at him to assert control over the situation.

The boy, who Rebecca now knew as Shiki, gave her a confused look. He tilted his head to left ever so slightly, lifting a hand to scratch his head.  
"Last....name...?" He asked, testing out the words. 

Rebecca shook her head, hugging herself closer protectively.  
"Figures. I guess I'll just call you Shiki Granbell, ok?" She said, the lack of noise around between the two making the situation even more eerie.

At this Shiki's face broke out into a wide smile, and he nodded his head quickly.   
"Yes! Shiki Granbell!" He exclaimed, looking excited and giddy about the new name. 

Rebecca smiled back without even noticing, finding his mannerisms quite cute and his smile infectious.   
"I'm Rebecca Bluegarden." She replied without thinking, making Shiki now look back at her with sparkling eyes and a wide smile.

"Re-becca Bluegarden?" He asked back, and Rebecca nodded at him just as enthusiastically.

He celebrated again, howling up to the sky and laughing. 

Suddenly, Rebecca found herself wanting to know more about the mysterious boy. Her fear had gone away, leaving only a rush of excitement and curiosity.

Rain began to fall lighting around the two, but they were protected by the leaves above them. Rebecca laughed at Shiki, her whole body relaxing.

He walked up to her like a monkey, putting his face very close to hers.  
"You? Friend?" He asked happily, almost jumping with excitement.

Rebecca stared at his face, her own body growing hot as his body got closer to hers.

She gulped, nodding her head and avoiding eye contact as to not alert to him that she was embarrassed.   
He jumped back again, pounding his chest and laughing as he rolled onto his back. 

He continued his celebration, howling to the sky despite the now pounding rain making it impossible for anyone but Rebecca to hear him. 

But despite his oddities, Rebecca found herself once again smiling at him.   
'How odd.' She thought before laughing at his antics, clapping him on.


End file.
